Paul’s Brewsletter

By Sky Joe

The advantages of beer-of-the-month clubs are many. While details vary from club to club, most benefits of beer clubs will include, members receiving two six-packs of fresh beer from two different microbreweries each month. There are also some beer clubs who will produce there own newsletters with all sorts of fun info about the beer you’re drinking. These newsletters usually include letters, columns, articles, and recipes.

The selection offered by these beer clubs varies with the seasons, guaranteeing you a wide range of Christmas brews, bocks, wheats, Oktoberfest beers, and so on. Hence you will most likely find yourself being exposed to a wide variety of beers you might not be able to find, such as California microbrews on the East Coast.

Competitions for members are stiff hence in order to get more members; some beer clubs do offer hard-to-find brews made by tiny breweries with the highest standards. These beers are usually fresh from the breweries and shipped within a few days.

However there are downsides to the starting of a beer-of-the-month club. In the whole world, only 14 states consider beer-of-the-month clubs legal. The National Beer Wholesalers Association has declared war on the clubs for violating the three-tier (brewery/distributor/bottle shop) systems in place in many states. Kentucky has made direct shipping of alcohol a felony, punishable by five years in prison.

On top of the law against beer-of-the-month, there are no safeguards to keep the beer out of the hands of minors; although, most clubs require an adult to sign foe the package. On a less serious note, beer can arrive hot or frozen. Most UPS shipping trucks used to ship beers are not great environments for beer. Make sure the beer club you join will immediately replace any bad beer. Another issue with beer clubs is you usually do not have much of a choice. You might fall in love with a beer that you can’t buy where you live. On the other hand, you might hate one month’s selection and most beer clubs require a mandatory two- or three-month sign up.

If you happen to live in a lager city, you could probably find most beers you will be receiving cheaper if bought locally. Before you sign up for any beer club, do check on the type of beer they ship in. Some beer clubs are shipping contract-brewed beers, which are generally not as lovingly mad as microbrewed beers.

For more information on Beer Clubs, Beer of the Month Club or Home Beer Brewing, you can visit this site: My Beer Store

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Find a wide selection of beer gifts at http://www.prhsolutions.com/brewsletter/beer-gifts/

I’m going to tell you something a little shocking - beer makes a great gift. Whoa! Did that stun you? Okay, maybe that statement is just a tad obvious. I have recently used beer, specifically homebrewed beer, as a thank you gift for a neighbor and let me tell you, that goes a long way.

My wife and I took a trip out of town over the summer. We asked this particular neighbor of ours to keep an eye on things while we were gone. You’ve probably done something similar time and time again. While you’re away, the neighbor collects the newspapers, mail, etc., that arrives at your house and gives it to you upon your return. Many times as thanks or repayment, you offer the same service to your neighbor when they leave town. After all, that’s what neighbors do, right?

That’s correct, and it should be that way. But how about going an extra step in saying thanks?

For under $50, you can get a kit to make good beer in your home that you can:

a) enjoy yourself
b) share with neighbors as thank you gifts or just gifts in general

This kit comes with simple to follow instructions, and all the ingredients you need except for water and maybe a few extra bottles (used beer bottles or soft drink bottles will do). It doesn’t get much easier than that!

The look in my neighbor’s face when I handed them a six pack of beer that I made for them to enjoy said it all. Do something nice like this for your neighbor and yourself, you’ll both benefit.

Keep this in mind too for the Holiday Season: giving someone a unique gift that you personally made, like homebrew beer, is a really nice touch that shows you went the extra mile and didn’t just get something quick and easy from the store.

Get yourself started at http://prhsolutions.com/thankyoubeer